Looking at the sixteen occurrences of the noun ζῆλος in the NT, it struck me that they are split exactly half and half between “good” zeal (eagerness, keenness) and “bad” zeal (envy, rivalry). I am including as “good” zeal verses such as Php 3:6, where Paul explains that in the past, when he was persecuting Christians, he had then seen acting as a zealous Pharisee as the right thing to do. In Heb 10:27, "the fierce fire that wll consume God's enemies" is similarly seen as just retribution.Brian, Yes φθόνος is perhaps invariably regarded as bad, and I don’t know if it’s ever attributed to God. In the famous “God is a jealous god” (Exod.20.5, Deut.4.24) the term used is ζηλωτής. In classical Greek, as in the NT, ζῆλος (as applied to humans) in certain contexts can be a commendable thing (zeal, for instance) but the Septuagint is a long way away from that.
“Bad” zeal is instanced, for example, in James 3:14, where ζῆλος is paired with ἔρις and both are contrasted with εὐδοκία. In Acts 5:17 ζῆλος is specified as the Temple authorities’ motive for arresting the apostles, just as in Matthew and Mark φθόνος had been the chief priests’ motive for sending Jesus to be tried by Pilate.
“Good” zeal: John 2:17; Rom 10:2; 2 Cor 7:7,11, 9:2, 11:2; Php 3:6; Heb 10:27.
“Bad” zeal: Acts 5:17, 13:45; Rom 1:29; 1 Cor 3:3; 2 Cor 12:20; Php 1:15; Jas 3:14,16.
Statistics: Posted by BrianB — Mon Jul 08, 2024 6:13 pm